Surname Skiens - Meaning and Origin
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Skiens: What does the surname Skiens mean?
The surname Skiens is of Norwegian origin and is derived from several locations in Vestfold, Norway. It is a topographic name for someone who lived near or in an area of waterfalls or cascades, derived from the Old Norse word 'skeið'. The place name 'Skien' first appears in a written record in 1148, and is likely an alteration of the Old Norse name 'Skíð', meaning "split".
Skien is now widely known as an industrial city and a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is the seventh most populous municipality in a country with a population of 5,292,717.
The English-language surname Skiens is derived from personal names such as "Skidr", which dates to the 10th century. Other variants include the Scandinavian forms "Skiald", "Skimo" and "Skiolf". As a given name, "Skiald" is derived from the Old Norse elements "skjald" meaning "shield" and "valdr" meaning "ruler".
The distribution of the Skiens surname around the world is the greatest among the United States (3,101), Norway (2,722), Canada (215), , Denmark (172), Sweden (166), United Kingdom (117), Australia (45), Ireland (25) and France (23). According to the Forebears website, the Skiens surname is most common in Norway, accounting for approximately 0.24 percent of the population.
The Skiens surname is likely to have a variety of ancestral roots, and could have originated from people who made their home near the waterfalls or cascades. The name reflects the ruggedness and independent spirit of those who lived in the area.
Order DNA origin analysisSkiens: Where does the name Skiens come from?
The surname Skiens is of Norwegian origin, and derived from the name of the town of Skien, which is located in Telemark County, Norway. As of 2020, the last name Skiens is most commonly found in Norway, as well as other Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Within Europe, the surname Skiens is most frequently occurring in Norway, where it ranks 1030th out of a list of more than 68 000 surnames belonging to Norwegian citizens. There is also a significant population in Sweden, where it is ranked 11156th on the list of most common surnames.
Outside of Europe, the last name Skiens is found mainly in the United States, where it ranks 60568th on the list of most common surnames. This may be due to the fact that it is a relatively uncommon surname, as well as the historical migration of Norwegians to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The last name Skiens is also seen in other countries, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Although it is considered to be an uncommon surname, it has existed for many centuries and is still found in several countries today.
Variations of the surname Skiens
The Skiens surname is a variation of the old English word sceawun, which means to look or see. The surname can be spelled in many different ways, though some of the more common spellings that you may encounter include: Skains, Sceyns, Scains, Scens, Skeens, Skens, Skennes and Skenes.
The Skiens surname is of Norse origin and can be traced back to the region of Telemark in Norway. This surname is primarily found in the U.S. and Canada, though it is also quite popular in parts of Scandinavia. It is also a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from the given name of a father or ancestor.
Variants of the Skiens surname can be found in other languages, such as Skjånes in Norwegian, Skjønns in Icelandic, and Skenes in Swedish. There are also other surnames that are related to Skiens but may be spelled slightly differently, such as Skaijens, Skaines, Skanes, Skeanes, Skines, Skeains, Skeyns, and Skyens.
It is important to note that the variant spellings for the Skiens surname are often based on regional dialects or languages. Therefore, it is essential to note the ancestry and geographical origin of an individual when spelling the surname.
Famous people with the name Skiens
- Vetle Skiens, Norwegian handball player
- Karl Skiens, Norwegian singer-songwriter
- Roald Skiens, Norwegian alpine skier
- Rob Skiens, American ice hockey player
- Jens Skiens, Norwegian professor in pedagogy
- Marius Skiens, Norwegian cyclist
- Even Skiens, Norwegian playwright
- Merethe Skiens, Norwegian singer
- Torjus Skiens, Norwegian entrepreneur
- Lise Skiens, Norwegian actress